Inspired by concepts of monumentality and materiality, this article discusses the results of the first microstratigraphic study conducted on the monumental buildings of the pre- and early historic site of Arslantepe (Malatya, Turkey). The earthen surfaces (floors and fixtures) of three monumental buildings—two belonging to the 4th and one to the 1st millennium BCE—were analysed by means of micromorphology, sometimes in combination with chemical spot-tests. Sampling strategies were adapted to these contexts, which are part of an open-air museum and required minimally invasive procedures. The results show a recycling of tell-construction material and the use of selected plasters for specific features, as well as the different maintenance practices and activities traced in apparently homogeneous surfaces. This revealed a multifaceted picture of how these monuments were experienced and given meaning to. Ultimately, by following a deposit-oriented approach, monuments go from representing mere embodiments of ideology and inequality to being understood as the multi-layered outcome of practices and different forms of material engagement with the built environment.
Fig. 5. Plans and photo of the three investigated buildings a) Temple D is located to the east, and only a small portion of the original structure is preserved. A rectangular platform was found in the centre of the main hall, room A1415. To the west, the larger and better-preserved Temple C was erected directly next to the western wall of Temple D; b) the palatial complex with its 10 studied contexts are indicated by their room/area number and the name of the building they belong to. The Courtyard and the Audience Building are not visible in Fig. 4 because they were unearthed in recent years; c) room A1435 in Building XLV. A large double-vaulted oven is located at the southern edge of the room. Photo modified from MAIAO Archive.